Well deserved applause, indeed.
The GOP County Chairman who could

By -
I imagine being the Republican County Chairman in Shannon County would be as thankless a task as being the Republican Legislative Recruiter for Legislative District 15 in Sioux Falls. In both places, Republicans historically just don't win.

But rather than view it as a mountain that couldn't be climbed, GOP County Chairman Bruce Whalen decided to be an optimist. Instead of thinking of the huge imbalance of party registration as an obstacle that couldn't be passed, he decided to make it an effort where he'd get over that mountain by building a road - one pebble at a time.

Celest Calvitto has an excellent article today in the Rapid City Journal profiling Bruce and his efforts. Here's just a snippet:
Whalen traveled many miles and attended 22 events, signing up a total of 56 Republicans, 18 Democrats and 3 independents in Shannon, Todd and Bennett counties.

“There’s one thing I am convinced of,” Whalen said. “Even though some people registered as Democrats, they lean toward the Republican platform. It’s up to our candidates to give them a good message. And it’s paramount to get them (all registrations) turned in. That’s not happening across the board,” he said.

Whalen said he believes American Indian values such as respect for life are reflected in the Republican Party platform. “Young people are asking what the Republican Party position is on abortion, and when I tell them Republicans are against abortion, they say that’s what they believe,” he said. “The other theme is that they are tired of the way things are. There is 80 percent unemployment in Indian Country, and Shannon County fights to be the poorest county in the nation.”
Read the whole thing here.

One of the things that Bruce mentions in the article is that he believes the GOP needs a permanent outreach coordinator for South Dakota's Native American populations. And I would tend to agree.

One only has to look at the massive party disparity in the 2002 U.S. Senate vote for Shannon County to come to that conclusion. 248 votes for Thune and 2856 votes for Johnson. Many of us went to bed thinking that Thune had won before Shannon County came in. And that overwhelming vote in Shannon County just blew the whole thing out of the water.

Starting in 2004 Bruce Whalen went to work. And from his efforts we have 56 more Republicans in those counties that weren't there before.

The outreach effort is time, labor and financially intense. One look at the 2004 GOP financials will tell you that. Tons of travel for 56 voters. But when the day is over, something was accomplished. We have "a spark" of new Republican voters in those counties.

It's not going to be cheap, but when elections are won or lost by 500 votes, it's inexpensive considering the alternative. So cast me among the people who think the GOP should continue to fund this worthy effort.

I look forward to someday saying Bruce Whalen's spark of Republicanism in Shannon County has been fanned into a flame.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A note from Benedict Ar... Sorry. A note from Stan Adelstein why he thinks you should vote Democrat this year.

By -
Image
(Click on letter to enlarge) And while it may not be printed at taxpayer expense, I don't see a disclaimer, either. When they hold the special session (supposedly at the end of November) , since he's left them already, I think his colleagues should expel him from the caucus. Sure. At that point it's only going to be symbolic. But since he's already said he's running again in the near future, sometimes symbolism is enough.
Read more

Corson County information on Klaudt Rape Charges

By -
Here's some of the information on the Corson County Charges: COUNT I That on or about December of 2005, in the County of Corson, State of South Dakota, Ted Alvin Klaudt did commit the public offense of SECOND DEGREE RAPE (SDCL 22-22-1(2)) in that he did accomplish an act of sexual penetration with his foster daughter, A.M., through the use of force or coercion; and as to COUNT II That on or about July or August of 2006, in the County of Corson, State of South Dakota, Ted Alvin Klaudt did commit the public offense of SECOND DEGREE RAPE (SDCL 22-22-1(2)) in that he did accomplish an act of sexual penetration with his foster daughter, A.M., through the use of force or coercion; and as to COUNT III That on or about July or August of 2006, in the County of Corson, State of South Dakota, Ted Alvin Klaudt did commit the public offense of SECOND DEGREE RAPE (SDCL 22-22-1(2)) in that he did accomplish an act of sexual penetration, separate and distinct from the act alleged in Count II, with...
Read more

It's about health, not potential promiscuity.

By -
As the only South Dakota blogger out with 5 daughters, I feel I need to weigh in on the whole discussion that's occurring with regards to the HPV vaccine, and Governor Rounds' proposal to make it available. My family (including my three oldest girls) watched my mom, their grandmother, succumb slowly and painfully to cancer which spread throughout her body. If a similar fate from a different type of cancer was preventable through a simple shot, why wouldn't anyone advocate for it? At the age most of my kids are going to be getting it, they're still playing with barbies, and negative influences such as most of the programming on MTV, and other assorted trashy television is verboten in my house. All they're going to know about this vaccination is that it's a shot, just like for teatnus or measles. They'll go "Ow, I don't want a shot," and that will be it. Just another mark on their vaccination record. One check box for DPT, one for HPV, and so on...
Read more